Toe iron for safety ski bindings

ABSTRACT

The toe iron comprises two levers, which are pivoted on vertical axes to a toe iron member which is secured to the skis. The levers are urged to a normal position by a spring and carry respective soleholders at their free ends. The levers consist of bell-crank levers and the second arm of each lever carries a bearing member. The bearing members are in contact with respective guideways of a yoke, which under the action of a spring acts on the bearing member and normally holds the levers in engagement with a stop that is fixed to the ski.

Marker et al.

[4 1 Dec. 17,1974

TOE IRON FOR SAFETY SKI BINDINGS Inventors: Hannes Marker, Hauptstrasse 51-53; Roland Jungkind, both of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany Assignees said Marker, by said Jungkind Filed: Feb. 6, 1973 Appl. No.: 329,991

Foreign Application Priority Data Feb. 25, 1972 Germany 2209055 US. Cl 280/ll.35 T Int. Cl. A63c 9/08 Field of Search 280/1 1.35 T

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1972 Reuge 280/ll.35 T 8/1972 Frisch 280/] 1.35 T

3,734,521 5/1973 Payrhammer 280/1 1.35 T

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 270,467 4/1969 Austria 280/1 1.35 T

Primary Examiner-Robert R. Song Attorney, Agent, or FirmFleit & Jacobson [5 7 ABSTRACT The toe iron comprises two levers, which are pivoted on vertical axes to a toe iron member which is secured to the skis. The levers are urged to a normal position by a spring and carry respective soleholders at their free ends. The levers consist of bell-crank levers and the second arm of each lever carries a bearing member. The bearing members are in contact with respective guideways of a yoke, which under the action of a spring acts on the bearing member and normally holds the levers in engagement with a stop that is fixed to the ski.

10 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTED DEB 1 11974 3; 854, 741

SHEET 1 (1F 2 PATENTEB SEC 1 H914 3,854. 741 SHEET 2 OF 2 Fig.4

TOE IRON FOR SAFETY SKI BINDINGS The present invention relates to a toe iron for safety ski bindings, which toe iron comprises two levers, which are pivoted on vertical axes to a toe iron member which is secured to the ski, and which levers are urged to a normal-position by a spring and carry respective soleholders at their free ends.

One of these known toe irons comprises a transverse spring, which at its ends is held on the levers to be movable toward the tip of the ski, and a locking member, which is secured to the ski and provides guideways for indirectly or directly guiding respective ends of said spring and prevents a movement toward the tip of the ski of that spring end which is associated with a lever which is being pivotally moved, until said lever has pivotally moved through a predetermined angle, whereas the locking member holds that spring end in its normal position which is associated with the lever that is not being pivotally moved.

Whereas that known toe iron complies with all requirements to be met by a toe iron for use in modern skiing and in combination of a heel-holding device of appropriate quality affords an optimum safety against typical skiing injuries, it involves a relatively high expenditure and for this reason cannot be manufactured at low cost because it comprises a large number of parts and requires the use of expensive materials.

It is an object of the invention to provide a toe iron which is functionally satisfactory and yet can be made in a simple manner and at low cost.

In a toe iron for safety ski bindings, which toe iron comprises two levers, which are pivoted on vertical axes to a toe iron member which is secured to the ski, and which levers are urged to a normal position by a spring and carry respective soleholders at their free ends, this objdct is accomplished in that the levers consist of bell-crank levers, the second arm of each lever carries a bearing member, and that the bearing members are in contact with respective guideways of a yoke, which under the action of a spring acts on the bearing members and normally holds the levers in engagement with a stop that is fixed to the ski.

To minimize any frictional resistance, it is a further feature of the invention that the bearing members consist of rollers, which are rotatable on vertical axes.

A further desirable feature of the invention resides in that the stop which is fixed to the ski consists of a central vertical pin, which at its top end carries a soleholding-down member. In this case, the soleholders at the free ends of the lever serve only to hold the toe portion of the boot against lateral movements and for this reason can be made in a very simple manner and at low cost.

It is desirable to provide a pin which is rotatable and has a non-circular cross-sectional shape because in this case the sole holding-down member can engage the sole from above on a large area for higher reliability. Because its cross-section is non-circular, the pin is always subjected to a retaining or restoring torque, which is exerted by the levers engaging the pin and tends to hold the pin in or to restore it to its normal position.

It has also been found that the pin is desirably axially adjustable. In this manner, the sole holding-down member can be adjusted to soles which differ in thickness.

A certain disadvantage of the above-mentioned, known toe iron resides in that the spring-loaded levers must be held in a turned-out position during the mounting of the toe iron; this requires a certain skill and the exertion of a certain force. In a further development of the invention, this disadvantage is avoided in that each lever has a hole through which a screw for fixing the toe iron can be passed during the mounting of the toe iron. To ensure that these holes do not adversely affect the pleasing appearance of the toe iron, the sole holdingdown member is suitably so large that in its normal position it covers the holes in the levers.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described more fully and by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a central longitudinal sectional view showing the toe iron according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a top plan view showing the toe iron, partly in a section taken on line [H1 in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line II-II in FIG. 1 and showing the toe iron in a position at the end of the elastic movement performed in response to a force which is transverse to the longitudinal direction of the toe iron and downwardly on the drawing, and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view similar to that of FIG. 3 and shows the toe iron in aposition in which it releases the boot.

The toe iron which is shown comprises a toe iron member 3, which is adapted to be secured to a ski l by two screws 2 and consists of a U-shaped, bent sheet metal element. The toe iron further comprises a housing 4, which is secured to the toe iron member 3 and is preferably made of plastics material. The housing interengages with the web of the U-shaped toe iron member and covers its top leg. The lower leg of the toe iron member is in its middle portion somewhat longer than the upper leg and has two holes for receiving the fixing screws 2.

The toe iron member 3 comprises two vertical pivot pins 5, 6, on which respective levers 7 and 8 are pivoted. Each lever carries at its free end a soleholder 11 or 12, which is freely pivotally movable to a limited extent about a vertical pivot pin 9 or 10. The soleholders consists of bell-crank levers and normally hold the forward end portion of the sole against lateral movements.

Each lever 7, 8 carries a further vertical pin 13 or 14, on which a bearing roller 15 or 16 is freely rotatably mounted. The two bearing rollers engage guideways of a yoke 17, which is pivoted on a vertical pivot pin 19 in a forked end of a central retaining bolt 18.

The second end of the retaining bolt 18 is provided with screw threads and carries a nut 21, which serves as an abutment for a helical compression spring 22. The retaining bolt 18 extends through a hole in the web of the toe iron member 3 into an opening 23 which is formed in the housing 4 and which receives also the nut 21 and the spring 22. At its inner end, the spring bears on a collar 24, which is formed on the housing 4 and which constricts the opening 23. The nut 21 is provided at its outer end with a cross-shaped slot 25, so that it can be screwed to a larger or smaller extent on the retaining bolt 18 by means of a screwdriver. The nut is also formed with an annular groove 26, which receives a nose 28 of a pointer 27, which is slidably mounted in the housing 4. As the nut is rotated, the pointer is displaced under a slot 29, which is formed in the upper housing wall (see FIGS. 1 and 2). A mark carried by the pointer and a scale extending along the slot enable a reading of the adjusted force required for a release of the toe iron (release hardness) (see FIG. 2).

Under the influence of the helical compression spring 22, the toe iron member 3 and the housing 4 are nonpositively held against a relative movement in the longitudinal direction of the toe iron, and the levers 7, 8 are held in engagement with a central stop 31, which in the present case consists of a tubular member, which is circular on the inside and hexagonal on the outside. A sole holding-down member 32 is connected to the top end of the tubular member for rotation therewith. A screw 33 is concentrically disposed in the tubular member and also connected thereto for joint rotation. The screw 33 is threaded in a threaded bushing 34, which is surrounded by the tubular member 31 and which at its lower end is firmly connected to the lower leg of the toe iron member 3. By a rotation of the sole holdingdown member 32, the same can be adjusted in height for adaptation to soles differing in thickness. Owing to the non-circular cross-section, the tubular member 31 holds the sole holding down member in its normal position because the levers 7, 8 in their normal position are in non-positive engagement with two mutually opposite edges of the tubular member.

The levers 7, 8 are shaped members which form bellcrank levers with respect to the pins 9, 13 and 10, 14 carried thereby. The pivot pins 9, 10 for the soleholders l l, 12 are so arranged that in the normal position of the levers these pivot pins are less spaced from the longitudinal'axis of the toe iron than the pivot pins 5, 6 of the levers. In the normal position of the levers, the pins 13, 14 of the bearing rollers 15, 16 and pivot pins 19 of the yoke lie near the straight line which connects the axes of the pivot pins 5, 6 of the levers.

Each of the levers 7, 8 comprises a hole 35 or 36, through which a screw 2 for fixing the toe iron can be passed during the mounting of the toe iron. The holes 35, 36 are normally covered by the sole holding-down member 32 (see FIG. 2). The toe iron according to the invention can be mounted in a very simple manner because the screw receiving holes in the lower leg of the toe iron member 3 are readily accessible after a certain angular movement of the sole holding-down member.

The handling and mode of operation of the toe iron will now be described as follows: The skier places the toe portion of the skiing boot between the lateral arms of the soleholders l1, l2 and moves the heel-holding device, not shown, to its position for use. As the heelholding device pushes the skiing boot forwardly, the forward edge of the sole is forced against the inner arms of the soleholders so that the lateral arms of the latter firmly engage the skiing boot and center the same on the ski.

If during skiing, the soleholder 11 is subjected to a force which overcomes the initial stress of the spring 22 and is transverse to the longitudinal direction of the toe iron, e.g., downwardly in FIG. 3 of the drawing, the soleholder will turn outwardly together with the lever. As a result, the bearing roller turns the yoke 17 about the axis 14 of the lever 8 so that the spring 22 is correspondingly compressed. The bearing roller 15 moves along its guideway on the yoke 17. If the force which is applied is smaller than the force required for a release or if it acts only as a shock and decreases before the bearing roller reaches an apex of the guideway, the spring 22 will relax and will pull the yoke and the lever 7 back to their initial position.

On the other hand, if a force which is dangerous to the skiers leg and directed transversely to the longitudinal direction of the toe iron acts on the soleholder 11 not only as a shock, the soleholder will perform a pivotal movement through the instantaneous position shown in FIG. 3 to the position shown in FIG. 4. When the bearing roller 15 has reached the apex of the guideway, a continued pivotal movement of the lever 7 will not further stress the spring 22 so that the skiing boot will be virtually suddenly released.

When the skiing boot has disengaged the soleholder, the spring automatically restores the lever to its initial position so that the toe iron is immediately restored to a condition ready for use. For a safety release, the sole holding-down member need not have a large width because the tubular stop which carries the sole holdingdown member is freely rotatable within a sufficiently large range. As the lever is restored, it restores the sole holding-down member when the lever re-engages the tubular member.

The invention is not restricted to the embodiment of the toe iron which has been described hereinbefore with reference to the drawing. It will be understood that changes in design within the scope of the invention defined by the claims can be adopted by the use of equivalent means.

What is claimed is:

1. A toe iron for safety ski bindings, the toe iron comprising: a toe iron member adapted to be secured to a ski and having a center line which lies substantially along the longitudinal center line of an associated ski; first and second levers pivotably mounted at one end on respective vertical axes opposite from one another on respective sides of the center line of the toe iron member; first and second soleholders mounted at the respective free ends of said first and second levers; a bearing member on each of said first and second levers nearer to the center line of said toe iron member than said vertical'axes; a yoke adapted to move relative to the associated ski having first and second guideways for bearing against respective ones of said bearing members; a stop adapted to be fixed relative to the associated ski for limiting the movement of said first and second levers to a predetermined normal position; and spring means for biasing said yoke against said bearing members to thereby urge said first and second levers to pivot into engagement with said stop.

2. A toe iron as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the bearing members consist of rollers, which are rotatable on vertical axes.

3. A toe iron as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the stop which is adapted to be fixed relative to the associated ski consists of a central vertical pin, which at its top end carries a sole holding-down member.

4. A toe iron as set forth in claim 3, characterized in that the pin is rotatable and is non-circular in crosssection.

5. A toe iron as set forth in claim 4, characterized in that the pin is axially adjustable.

6. A toe iron as set forth in claim 3, wherein each lever has a hole through which a screw for fixing the toe iron can be passed during the mounting of the to eiron, and characterized in that the sole holding-down memher in its normal position covers the holes in the levers.

7. A toe iron as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that each lever has a hole through which a screw for fixing the toe iron can be passed during the mounting of 5 the toe iron.

8. A toe iron as set forth in claim 1, wherein said yoke is pivotably mounted about an axis substantially perpendicular to and through the center line of the toe spring means. 

1. A toe iron for safety ski bindings, the toe iron comprising: a toe iron member adapted to be secured to a ski and having a center line which lies substantially along the longitudinal center line of an associated ski; first and second levers pivotably mounted at one end on respective vertical axes opposite from one another on respective sides of the center line of the toe iron member; first and second soleholders mounted at the respective free ends of said first and second levers; a bearing member on each of said first and second levers nearer to the center line of said toe iron member than said vertical axes; a yoke adapted to move relative to the associated ski having first and second guideways for bearing against respective ones of said bearing members; a stop adapted to be fixed relative to the associated ski for limiting the movement of said first and second levers to a predetermined normal position; and spring means for biasing said yoke against said bearing members to thereby urge said first and second levers to pivot into engagement with said stop.
 2. A toe iron as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the bearing members consist of rollers, which are rotatable on vertical axes.
 3. A toe iron as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the stop which is adapted to be fixed relative to the associated ski consists of a central vertical pin, which at its top end carries a sole holding-down member.
 4. A toe iron as set forth in claim 3, characterized in that the pin is rotatable and is non-circular in cross-section.
 5. A toe iron as set forth in claim 4, characterized in that the pin is axially adjustable.
 6. A toe iron as set forth in claim 3, wherein each lever has a hole through which a screw for fixing the toe iron can be passed during the mouting of the toe iron, and characterized in that the sole holding-down member in its normal position covers the holes in the levers.
 7. A toe iron as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that each lever has a hole through which a screw for fixing the toe iron can be passed during the mounting of the toe iron.
 8. A toe iron as set forth in claim 1, wherein said yoke is pivotably mounted about an axis substantially perpendicular to and through the center line of the toe member.
 9. A toe iron as set forth in claim 8, wherein the axis about which said yoke pivots is a pivot pin which is movable along the center line of the toe member.
 10. A toe iron as set forth in claim 9, wherein the pivot pin is fixed to a shaft which is biased by said spring means. 